Sunday, October 15, 2006

Weekly Reading Quotes and other stuff

Photo of the Hole in the Rock Road, UtahI haven’t done much reading this week. I'm just too darn busy! Therefore I don’t have as many quotes as normal, so I’ll comment on a few other things in life. This afternoon I took my colleague from India to a local operating mill (it’s now a museum). On the mill grounds, a Civil War reenactment was being conducted. My daughter and I did our best to explain to J what the Civil War was about and I had to explain to both of them why they grown men want to wear wool outfits and pretend to shoot each other with muskets. We got there a little late for the reenactment of the first battle of Manassas or Bull Run. I suppose the South still won. If you’ve read Tony Horwitz’s, Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (A good and often funny book), you might have the idea this reenactment stuff happens only down South. That’s not case. Even here in Michigan, they're those who dress up and play army.

After talking with the make-believe soldiers, we headed over to the mill and got there right after they pressed their last batch of cider. Although we didn’t get to see it in operation, we did get to drink a cup of the apple’s nectar. Then we went into the mill and watched a demostration of grinding corn in the large mill. The miller gave an interesting presentation as to the operation of the mill and even demonstrated a small hand turned stoned mill. J informed us that such mills are still in use in rural areas of India.

The snow has melted, leaving behind a bunch of leaves that need to be raked. Any volunteers?

And finally, I must ask one question of you, my dear readers: “What about them Tigers?” Did you see Ordonez’s slap that game winning homer in the bottom of the 9th? (His second of the night). Suppose next week will be a light reading week too as I watch the World Series.

Here are my quotes of the week:

Don’t give into cynicism.-This was on a fortune cookie I received in a Chinese restaurant. What a quote for a cynic!

The bee shrieked away, leaving me only with the sound of wind, Land Maker’s irresistible song.-Craig Childs, Soul of Nowhere

If we didn’t have a place like this, we’d die without ever knowing we were dead.-Craig Childs, Soul of Nowhere

When I came down to the core of my life and found there nothing but desire, the truth of the land.-Craig Childs, Soul of Nowhere

George Orwell once wrote, "in times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."-Joseph Wilson addressing the “People for the American Way”

the Japanese proverb deru kugi wa utareru - the nail which sticks out will get hammered-http://verniciousknids.blogspot.com (maybe this explains my headache)

I wish every day was the weekend.-My daughter getting ready for bed tonight knowing that tomorrow is Monday

The composition of that picture is exquisite. You have a way of making big pictures seem to intriguing to the eye. That's not so easy: most images of this type are usually flat-boring. Your eye sees 'em differently, though, and for that I'm thankful.

We're barely 2 hours east of Detroit, so Tigermania is all over our airwaves. I love it...the underdog has always touched my heart, so it's good to see the good guys knocking off the vaunted giants.

I like the last one about your neighbors...I'd say that has to be true.

Your daughter has the right idea too!

We just had our big Jeb Stuart re-enactment last weekend. I have never gone. Just not my cup of tea though alot of folks here take it very seriously. When it started up, many years ago, an organizer had asked me if I wanted to be one of the ladies....like the widows mourning trail or something. In the big dresses with the long black veils. I just said "Lord No." I knew I'd cook!

good story of the re enactment , I would love to see one one day, loved the movie Sweet home Alabama, a town full of crazies proud so proud of who they are. Love it.. also the Japanese proverb lol have a great dayshona: )

Murf, I made sure that he learned all about the war of northern aggression!

Carmi, thanks for the compliment and GO TIGERS! (of course, we may have to wait a month for the NLCS to be over)

Kevin, Agreed!

Mal, he told me how people in the south of India are considered superior to those in the north--I told him it's the same way in the US (btw, his family is originally from S. India)

Deana, at this reenactment, the army had women cooks (and it wasn't hot so they didn't cook in their outfits)

Slap me (I never hit a woman), you mean they don't have Civil War reenactments in Australia? Shame on ya'll down there! I haven't seen the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" but just about OD'ed on the song--Lynard Skiner (spelling?) is good, but enough is enough.

Civil War reenactments take place here in Pennsylvania, too. But of course some major and some minor battles took place in this state like at Gettysburg and also near Schwenksville. You might recall that I featured the reenactment near Schwenksville on my blog some time back. I enjoyed it for the sense of history it gave me. I have no desire though to be a reenactor. But I have enjoyed playing games like Sid Meier's Civilization which involves battles. I have sometimes asked myself whether that is consistent with my being a Mennonite. And I can't say I have come to a conclusive answer either way.

There were huge reenactments at the park near my old house in N. CA. The "musket fire" scared my poor dog. It was all very fun to watch!

You're reading some good stuff, Sage. If you ever get the chance, read "Civilwarland In Bad Decline" by George Saunders. It's a short story in a collection by the same title. Very funny & you can probably get it at the library.

Murf, heck, I learned how to spell down south, don't think I'll have to worry about it too much

Michael, thanks for stopping by

Ing, interesting new picture. Did you run out of red nail polish?

Heather, read "The Secret Knowledge of Water" instead of "Soul of Nowhere." This book does centers around those who lived in the desert long ago, and is good, but not as good or as powerful as the "Water" one.

And while I don't get Civil War reenactments, I also think it must be a rather intimate way of getting in touch with history. What I mean is the research involved in learning about how individuals lived back then during a great war.

Musings

This blog contains observations on life and nature written by Sage, satire and parody written by Nevada Jack, and an occasional book review or poem. As a general rule, the author of the blog doesn't write about his work or his family. Email at sagecoveredhills [at] gmail.com